Just when I thought that my Appleton Estate journey couldn’t get better, @rum_come_save_me came along with a sample of one of the “unicorns” of rum - the Appleton Estate 50 Year Old Rum, Jamaica Independence Reserve.

What makes this rum so unique, and mind boggling for that matter, is Appleton’s ability to build up a reserve of rum aged for a minimum of 50 years, and better yet, completely in the tropics. The very idea of aging a rum for 50 years in the tropics would’ve been unthinkable, and laughable perhaps, given the amount of liquid that would’ve been lost, probably leaving enough for not more than 20 bottles or so by the end of it all.

Though if you have read my review of the Appleton 30 Year Old, you would know that Appleton manages this through a simple system of cask consolidation which involves decanting and refilling casks every three years to ensure the casks are filled to the brim, thereby reducing the angel’s share. Through that process, we have with us today then a rum that was laid down in casks before 1962, and finally bottled 50 years later in 2012, with an outturn of 800 bottles, and a slight dilution to bring it to 45% abv. Another little known fact is that this rum was derived from the identical batch that was bottled in 1987 for Jamaica’s 25th year of independence, with the remaining casks left to continue aging up until bottling in 2012.

 

The nose of the Appleton 50 was a very elegant one, introducing a melange of candied sweetness, thick wafts of vanilla, milk chocolates, a sprinkle of coconut shavings and cookie dough. Now interestingly it did not come across woody at all, rather it seemed fresh, bright, and minty. Within all that lay this particular note that resembled a beancurd dessert, something I have never found in a rum previously, and yet works so well in this instance. And lastly a touch of savoury notes of preserved sour plums.
 
On the palate, it was wonderfully balanced, bearing so many traditional characteristics of great Appleton rums, but with much greater depth and length. Right from the beginning came delicious sweetness, vanilla and cookie dough, which I absolutely adore from Appleton rums, orange peel, lots of candy, and a touch of coconut cream. Its texture was surprisingly thinner than I would’ve expected from a rum with 50 years of tropical aging. The medium-length finish carried on with the flavours above, although with a tinge of wood that introduced a slight tannic element which gave the rum a nice little lift at the end.

There is no question that the Appleton 50 is an absolute peach, and if you liked the 30 as much as I did, then the 50 would be perfect. Unfortunately the prices of the Appleton 50s today are way out of reach of most rum drinkers such as myself, but its always appreciated when good folks open unicorns like these to share, and a big thank you again to @rum_come_save_me for the generous sample!

(Note: Both my glass and sample bottle are pictured empty as I had tasted the rum the previous evening)

Image Courtesy of @weixiang_liu